Tuesday, March 29, 2016

Public drinking water has been in the news recently due to the
crisis in Flint, Michigan. It is important for the people of Maine to know that
their public drinking water is well-regulated and safe to drink. Kenneth
Albert, Director and Chief Operating Officer of Maine CDC, recently wrote an op
ed about lead in Maine. Read it at https://www.centralmaine.com/2016/03/28/maine-is-not-flint-michigan/

Tuesday, March 22, 2016

Maine CDC is investigating several cases of mumps in two college
campuses: University of Southern Maine and University of New
England. Other New England states are seeing similar clusters on college
campuses. As of March 17, Maine has two confirmed and one probable case
of mumps. Maine CDC is working closely with both schools to identify
cases and provide recommendations for control.

Maine CDC issued a Public Health Advisory on March 21 to remind
health care providers to test patients who have clinically compatible symptoms
for mumps and to encourage vaccination.

Friday, March 18, 2016

Maine Emergency Management Agency (MEMA); Data, Research and
Vital Statistics (DRVS); Public Health Emergency Preparedness (PHEP); the
Office of Information Technology (OIT) and the Department of Education (DOE),
along with key public information, law enforcement and other officials,
participated in Cyber Storm V, an exercise that tests Maine’s ability to
respond to an attack on its computer systems and information contained within
the system.

Thursday, March 17, 2016

U.S. CDC reports that the flu vaccine has been 59 percent
effective so far in the current 2015-16 season. That's more than twice the
effectiveness of the 2014-15 season, which was found to be only 23 percent
effective.

Flu activity in Maine is still increasing and is expected to
continue. Diagnostic testing is available for influenza-like illness
(defined as fever greater than 100° F with cough or sore throat, in the absence
of another known cause). Treatment with antiviral medication can decrease the
duration and severity of illness but should be started as soon as possible.

Friday, March 4, 2016

The theme for National Nutrition Month 2016 is "Savor the
Flavor of Eating Right," which encourages everyone to take time to enjoy
food traditions and appreciate the pleasures, great flavors and social
experiences food can add to our lives. How, when, why and where we eat are just
as important as what we eat. Develop a mindful eating pattern that includes
nutritious and flavorful foods. That's the best way to savor the flavor of
eating right!

Try
some of these tips to introduce mindful eating into your routine.

Ask yourself why you are eating

Eat more slowly

Savor the silence and focus on the food

Pay attention to flavor and texture

Reconnect to food by knowing how was it grown, where it
came from and how it got here

National
Nutrition Month is a nutrition education and information campaign created to
focus America’s attention on the importance of making informed food choices and
developing sound eating and physical activity habits.

Thursday, March 3, 2016

In early February, 43 people participated in a full-scale
tabletop training exercise where the scenario was a chemical spill Into the
Androscoggin River. The event took place at the Topsham Public Safety
Building.

Participants included: Maine CDC Drinking Water Program; Maine
Department of Environmental Protection; Maine Emergency Management Agency;
Cumberland and Sagadahoc County Emergency Management Agencies; the U.S.
Department of Environmental Protection; the Brunswick/Topsham Water District;
the Maine Rural Water Association; the Brunswick and Topsham Fire Departments;
the Brunswick Sewer Department; Topsham Public Works; the Bath Water District;
the Topsham Police Department; the U.S. Coast Guard and Mid Coast Hospital.

In this scenario, a fuel tanker and a truck containing
compressed natural gas cylinders were involved in a traffic accident and
spilled diesel fuel into a small stream near water supply wells of the
Brunswick/Topsham Water District, threatening the wells and the nearby
Androscoggin River. Release of propane gas created a dangerous situation
at the crash scene, delaying cleanup of the spilled fuel. Later in the
day, another hypothetical traffic accident occurred in a different part of
town, which resulted in a water main break near Mid Coast Hospital. This
combination of unexpected events created challenges to protect public safety,
maintain service to water customers and mitigate impacts to the environment.

The origin and planning of these exercises resulted from
collaboration between the Maine CDC Drinking Water Program and Maine DEP’s Division
of Technical Services and Division of Response Services following the January
9, 2014 Elk River chemical spill in West Virginia. The recent Flint,
Michigan water supply lead contamination incident was also highlighted at the
training to emphasize the importance of risk communications during any incident
that may threaten drinking water quality.

Wednesday, March 2, 2016

Maine CDC announced last week that a mature adult
(age 65 or older) from Hancock County has tested positive for the Zika virus.
The individual traveled to a Zika-affected country and experienced symptoms
after returning home. Hospitalization was not required and recovery continues
at home.

Zika virus is spread to people through mosquito
bites. Though less common, Zika can be transmitted through sexual contact
from a male to his partner. The World Health Organization and U.S. CDC are
investigating a potential link between Zika virus and an increase in
microcephaly, a birth defect in which the size of a baby’s head is smaller than
expected. This link is not well understood, and out of an abundance of caution
Maine CDC is recommending that all pregnant women and men who are sexually
active with a woman who is pregnant or trying to become pregnant who have
traveled to a Zika-affected area be tested for the virus.

Only one in five people infected with Zika show symptoms, which
include fever, rash, joint pain and
red eyes. Illness is usually mild with symptoms lasting from several days to a
week.

U.S. CDC has issued travel alerts for people traveling to
regions and certain countries where Zika virus transmission is ongoing. The most recent guidance and guidelines are
available at: http://www.cdc.gov/zika/whats-new.html

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